Historic & Prehistoric Journeys — Where Kenya’s Ancient Stories Come Alive

Lake Turkana Cultural Expedition — The Cradle of Humanity

Travel to Lake Turkana for the Cultural Festival — a journey through the Jade Sea, ancient tribes, and the cradle of humanity in northern Kenya.

There are journeys that show you the world — and then there are journeys that show you where the world began. Our Lake Turkana expedition is one of those rare experiences that changes how travelers see life itself. Each year, we take our guests far beyond the familiar paths of Kenya’s safari circuit, into the untamed beauty of the north, where desert winds sweep across ancient lava plains and the Jade Sea glows like a mirage. Here, between mountain and sand, humanity still beats to its original rhythm.

The adventure begins in Nairobi, where anticipation hums in the air. As we board the small aircraft heading north, the view transforms — green farmlands give way to ochre wilderness, dotted with acacia trees and dry riverbeds. When the plane descends over the glimmering expanse of Lake Turkana, gasps fill the cabin. The lake stretches endlessly, its turquoise surface defying the harsh desert that surrounds it.

We land in Loiyangalani, a small settlement between desert and lake. Here, the Lake Turkana Cultural Festival bursts into life — a three-day celebration where fourteen tribes gather: Turkana, El Molo, Rendille, Samburu, Pokot, and more. Beaded jewelry sparkles, drums echo, and warriors in bright shukas dance beside women adorned in layers of beads and brass. It is a living story of identity, unity, and peace.

Between festivities, guests explore the Jade Sea by boat, gliding toward Central Island National Park, whose volcanic craters shelter flamingos and crocodiles. Standing atop its ridge, with the desert wind in your hair, you feel the pulse of the earth — a connection to the dawn of mankind.

This is where scientists discovered some of the world’s oldest human fossils, earning Turkana its title as the Cradle of Humanity. To stand here is to travel through time itself — to witness the raw essence of life’s beginnings.

As night falls, guests relax at Oasis Lodge, where palm-thatched roofs overlook the lake. Meals of fresh fish and local stories shared by Turkana elders make for unforgettable evenings under a sky ablaze with stars.

When the journey concludes, travelers fly to Malindi for rest and reflection by the coast — a symbolic transition from the origins of life to the rhythm of the present.

At Come Travel Kenya, our Turkana expeditions honour culture, resilience, and the enduring spirit of humanity. This is not tourism — it is pilgrimage.

Gede Ruins — The Lost City Beneath the Baobabs

By a Cultural Guide from Come Travel Kenya

In the quiet forest of Arabuko-Sokoke, where sunlight filters through ancient trees, the coral-stone ruins of Gede rise like a memory. “Karibu Gede,” we say — welcome to the city that time forgot.

Founded in the 12th century, Gede was once a thriving Swahili trading city, where merchants from Arabia, Persia, and China exchanged goods and ideas. Its residents lived in coral homes with wells, courtyards, and intricately carved niches — traces of an elegant civilization shaped by the ocean’s trade winds.

Yet by the 17th century, Gede was mysteriously abandoned and swallowed by the forest. Today, it stands preserved in time — a hauntingly beautiful blend of history and nature.

Visitors walk through the Great Mosque, past fig trees whose roots embrace old walls, and to the Wishing Tree, a sacred baobab where locals still leave offerings for blessings. The air hums with reverence — a meeting place of spirit and history.

Surrounding Gede is the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, one of Kenya’s last coastal ecosystems and home to rare wildlife such as Sykes’ monkeys, golden-rumped elephant shrews, bush babies, and Fischer’s turacos. Here, ruins and wilderness coexist in harmony — proof that even in decay, life continues.

At the end of the tour, we climb the old watchtower and gaze across the treetops toward the Indian Ocean. The breeze carries both the scent of the sea and the stories of centuries past.

Gede is not just an archaeological site — it is a reflection of the Swahili soul, a reminder that Kenya’s story is not only written on its savannahs, but also in the silent stones beneath its forests.

Wildlife & Ecology Highlights

Mammals: Sykes’ monkeys, golden-rumped elephant shrews, bush babies, African civets, duikers
Birds: African paradise flycatcher, sunbirds, Fischer’s turaco, wood hoopoe
Habitat: Coastal lowland forest shared with Arabuko-Sokoke — a vital biodiversity hotspot

Traveler’s Reflection

Historic and prehistoric Kenya is not just about ruins or fossils — it’s about continuity. From Turkana’s timeless tribes to Gede’s silent city, these journeys invite travellers to look inward, to see not only where humanity began, but how its spirit endures.

Come Travel Kenya — where every journey connects past and present, people and place, story and soul.